Street vendors fear being sidelined by Atlanta’s World Cup permit freeze
When news broke in June 2022 that FIFA had selected Atlanta as a host city for some of its 2026 World Cup matches, food truck vendors across the metro area immediately started planning.
The massive 30-day event — expected to bring up to 500,000 visitors to downtown — has the potential to cover a vendor’s operating expenses during the slow season and earn them enough money to franchise, hire additional staff or even get their products in stores, according to industry leaders interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Joshua Brown, owner of Operation Mini Donuts, a food truck specializing in sweet treats, said the impact of an event like the FIFA World Cup on small businesses is “impossible to put into words.”
“This is Atlanta food — this is Southern food and cuisine that we’re going to introduce to a whole new audience,” he said. “With the type of revenue that this month can bring, we can expand and hire and grow our communities.”
But food trucks and other street vendors have had to put those plans on hold after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ signed an executive order last month freezing permits downtown during FIFA activities.
The moratorium, issued by the mayor on Sept. 11, pauses permitting for things like roadway construction, street closures, utility work and even filming from June 11 through July 18 next year — when FIFA World Cup events are scheduled to take over the city.
But it also includes a freeze on permits for street vending and community gatherings — raising questions about who will benefit from the influx of visitors.
The Dickens administration defends the order as a way to prevent permit hoarding, traffic jams or public safety concerns during the international tournament.
But Brown, who is also the president of the Food Truck Association of Georgia, said the freeze blocks small businesses from benefiting from the influx of visitors.
“Having a permit freeze during the biggest time, that hurts us,” he said. “Not only will we not get the gains from FIFA, we’re also going to lose the opportunities we would have normally had if FIFA wasn’t here.”
The proposal was approved without debate by the Atlanta City Council during its Oct. 6 meeting, after Dickens administration officials stressed their goal of making sure the World Cup “does not happen to Atlanta but with Atlanta.”
“While it may seem like we’re limiting folks from trying to have access, and trying to keep people out,” Austin Wagner, deputy chief of staff, told council members. “The reality is, we want to make sure that the people who are in Atlanta … can still access and use the city.”
The mayor’s office argues that the permitting freeze is an effort to stop individuals from securing multiple permits and selling them for profit while the city mulls a new process. They also say it will help crowd control efforts with hundreds of thousands of people expected to flock downtown.
In a recent interview with the AJC, Dickens said the hold will give the city a chance to construct a fair permitting process for the large-scale event.
“We’re definitely supportive of street vending,” he said. “I want to make sure that we have the ability for vendors to be in the city of Atlanta to take advantage of all these travelers that are going to be coming in.”
But the administration faces the challenge of regulating vending businesses without sparking a legal battle reminiscent of the bitter feud between the city and street vendors before the 1996 Olympics, which ended with a court victory in favor of the businesses.
Robert Frommer, a senior attorney with The Institute for Justice, has litigated two successful cases against the city of Atlanta for street vendors. He said the executive order as it stands is a clear case of government controlling who interacts with and profits from major events.
“It seems like what this executive order is doing is essentially, once again, giving vendors the short end of the stick,” he said. “They’re saying this time next year, everybody can benefit from FIFA except for you.”
Even council members questioned the impact of the executive order on the communities surrounding Mercedes-Benz Stadium. During a committee meeting, Council member Howard Shook said the legislation needs to be revisited.
“I see this principally as an attempt to prioritize access to major parks and other public venues in a way that supports FIFA-related activities,” he said. “That said, I’m not colorblind, I know gray when I see it.”
Who benefits from large events?
Atlanta has a long history of legal battles with the street vending industry. Vendors went to court with the city under the Campbell, Franklin and Reed administrations.
During the 1996 Olympics, vendors paid the city thousands of dollars for prime selling locations. But a lawsuit filed by vendors accused the city of false promises after they were “misled” into signing fraudulent contracts with the company overseeing the permitting process.
The lawsuit alleged that the locations billed as top tier by the city were far from pedestrian foot traffic and that officials didn’t enforce penalties against unlicensed vendors.
Food truck operators also pointed to issues with the city during the 2019 Super Bowl. Small businesses said the permitting process for the event was “chaotic” and that it seemed as if companies from out of state were prioritized.
“We felt left out because they brought big business in,” said Tameka Thomas, one of a sibling duo that operates Funnel Cake Guys food truck and vice president of the Food Truck Association of Georgia.
“With the astronomical fees that they had (for permitting), it just wasn’t feasible for trucks,” she said.
The association said they’ve been encouraged by the city to sign-up for its “Showcase Atlanta” initiative, a program that aims to connect local businesses with major event planners.
Frommer said he doesn’t buy into the argument that withholding permits from street vendors during major events helps with security efforts: “It’s not about public safety, it’s protectionism.”
“It’s saying if you’re a big place, if you’re a store, you can make money off this,” Frommer said. “But if you’re one of the entrepreneurs on one of those bottom rungs of the ladder we’re cutting you out.”
The permit freeze on community events also raised red flags, as it could limit community group access to public spaces like parks in their neighborhoods.
Dickens said the city is trying to avoid community activities being overrun by soccer fans.
“It’s going to be so large we don’t want somebody underprepared throwing a birthday party at a city park,” he told the AJC.
Historic neighborhoods like English Avenue and Vine City have struggled to manage downtown visitors who leak into their streets during sporting events and concerts.
During a council committee meeting, Council member Byron Amos, who represents the area, voiced disappointment that community leaders weren’t involved in creating the permit hold map. Three parks — Rodney Cook, Centennial and Woodruff parks — are all within its boundaries.
“Once again, we’re planning for people, instead of with people,” Amos said. “When do they have a voice or opportunity to participate in everything that you say will take place inside of these zones you have placed on top of them?”
The Dickens administration said there’s potential to lift the freeze in some areas ahead of FIFA — although they wouldn’t say which permits would open up or provide details about what the process might look like.
But Brown said the clock is ticking for vendors, who have to plan months in advance.
“The city of Atlanta vending permit is one of the toughest ones to get in terms of what you need to do,” he said. “We need time and clear guidance.”
About the Author
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
